Crusade
by Skyrene
Summary: He doesn't need the badges. He doesn't want the challenges or the pain or the journey. He just wanted to find the truth. Too bad he had to go through all of the above and some more for it.
1. Prologue

**Crusade**

_by_

_Skyrene_

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

They were talking again, in that low tone of theirs.

She should have been able to hear it, but somehow their voices sounded so far away, and while she desperately wanted to listen in, she could not. She found no more strength to move her thin, bony body. They've made sure she wouldn't be strong enough to do _anything_ but occasionally wail like an animal, begging for food or drink – which they gave her only in minimal amounts.

Days ago, they've dragged her roommate out. Or her fellow prisoner, really. The latter term fit this situation better. They were all prisoners here.

But either way, now she was lonely, and cold, and uncomfortable, and hungry, and _why can't she go free_? Vaguely, she remembered that she had someone important, out there in the world. But who? He was young, she knew, and it was a he, but she didn't remember much else. Something told her that this was very wrong – _very_ wrong – but she couldn't tell why. Something also told her she used to remember him. Maybe when she first came here? Maybe before that?

She couldn't remember.

Mustering all that was left of her scattered psych, she dragged herself toward the door, leaning against it and breathing hard from the exertion the simple act of crawling had caused. But at least she was there, and she could listen.

"We're taking 43 with us," a man was saying gruffly. "And that's that. You've had enough time with her."

"But we're reaching a crucial state!" another, a woman, whined pathetically. "Just a little more time, please?"

"Like I'd fallen for that. You just want to have fun with her, you sick Wooper! She's going to us, and that's that. Now get lost before I revoke your researcher license altogether!"

The woman huffed. "Wooper? Really? Nothing better than that?"

"It is the most accurate. Get going; I think I heard Dr. Chase saying something about a new shiny Ninetails being brought in." The tone of the man's voice is more gentle than before, but not much softer.

Another huff. "Fine." And she heard high-heel shoes – was that what they were called? – clicking down the hallway.

No sound after that. She had nearly fallen asleep, but the abnormally loud noise of the key turning in the lock sent her scurrying backward in a burst of speed powered by fear. The thick steel door swung backward, and a man stepped in. The man she'd just heard, she thought, then grinned. At least she was still smart enough to reason out that much.

He stared down at her. He was a tall man with a mighty beard and bespectacled, dressed in a white lab coat and with a clipboard held in one hand. He stared down at her, and she saw something in his eyes. It was not hostility, at least. Something like…sympathy? Pity?

She hissed at him, pedaling backward.

The man just sighed. "C'mon," he said gruffly, and she saw two other figures outside the door, blocking the sterile white light. "We're going."

At a gesture from him, they entered the room. They grabbed her skinny arms and dragged her upright, but not with as much force as she'd been dragged before. They seemed to even be mindful of the bruises she had – she couldn't remember who'd inflicted them – and then proceeded to get her out of the room.

She didn't say anything. Her head lolled from one shoulder to the other, her eyes tightly shut. What does it matter? She was going from one hell to the next anyway. This might be a small act of mercy now, but wherever they were getting her to, it would be torment and pills and experiments and screaming and the sound of flesh tearing and white-coated people who liked to hurt her – _will_ hurt her.

One hell to the next. She would never be free.

She started to cry.

* * *

_So, again my better judgment, I decided to do a continuation of my one-shot. It's just too much of a good plot to actually pass up. And no, if you think this is a Pokemorph story, it's not. Rather, it's the process _before_ the success of an actual Pokemorph - if there ever was one._

_Tell me what you think._


	2. A Small Beginning

_**Chapter 1 - A Small Beginning**_

* * *

_He was back in the living room again. Aunt Rhiannon was facing him, her eyes red from unshed tears but too proud to actually cry, instead masking it with fury. "You are but a child!" she shrieked, pointing at him. "You don't understand anything!"_

_Annoyance, exasperation and anger boiled within him, coming together in a dangerous mix. "I want to!" he shouted, not noticing that he was yelling at the person who'd done her best to fill in the void his mother's death had left behind these past months._

"_It's too much for you to comprehend," Rhiannon dismissed him with ease, as though he was a child and was asking her to go into specific about what makes the sky blue. "You're too young," she repeated. It was her motto, and it made him all the more angry._

_They glared at each other for a long while, oblivious to the other's reason or pleas. Not that there were any, one way or another. Rhiannon's pride got in the way, and _he_ was currently trying not to punch something. That would only make him seem like a petulant child. It was bad enough Rhiannon believed him to be a fragile doll. It wouldn't do for her to see that he couldn't handle his temper as well._

_He clenched and unclenched his jaw several times, before taking a deep breath. The words came to him, quick and clear, and he uttered them before his conscience could stop him._

"_I'm going." It was hard to believe it was his voice, so final and cold, lacking the usual shyness. "And I won't so much as step foot into this household again before I find the truth – because you won't give it to me. You think that I'm stupid? Fine! I hope you'll be happy if I go and die in the wild trying to find out what you can tell me but _won't_!"_

_He turned away and marched toward the sliding door that led to the garden. A few tears fell, but he didn't cry, stubbornly holding it back._

_Therefore, he was able to hear his guardian's loud, agonized sob._

_Slamming the door behind him, he headed toward the oak tree, wiping away the stray tears. He would _not_ be weak._

* * *

His eyes snapped open.

For a few moments, all he could hear was his own harsh breathing from the nightmare and saw nothing but darkness. He couldn't even remember where he was, but he did know that he was presumably somewhere safe. His back was pressed against something soft. He was warm, and his head was pillowed on something, also soft. The warmth didn't help with his sluggish mind. Not at all.

Eventually, there was light. Across from him, there was an open window, and beyond that he could see the dark blue of the sky. _Dawn,_ he thought groggily, slowly sitting up and running a hand through his messy hair. He didn't feel sleepy, at least, which meant he'd had a good night sleep. Something told him that he'd needed it.

Then realization hit. Or, rather, memories came flooding back, as was the appropriate phrase for it.

"Hex," he whispered into the darkness, then waited for the response. There was the sound of a beak clicking and flapping wings. He relaxed. Well, his pokémon was still here, at least. That made everything a little bit better. Soothed for the time being, he fell back into his narrow bed and closed his eyes.

He was in a Pokémon Center. In one of its rented rooms, to be exact, and he remembered staggering into the welcoming red-roofed building just the night before, exhausted and cold. The pink-haired Nurse Joy had immediately pulled him into one of the first-aid rooms in the back, asked him a few questions, before sending him to bed. He'd only been able to remove his jacket and kick off his boots before falling into a deep sleep, too worn out to dream.

Thinking back on it, he was glad he came to the Center in that condition, because otherwise the nurse would've asked for his trainer's license, since he so obviously "owned" one. And he didn't have a license.

"_Feeling better?_"

His eyes opened again, and he glanced to his left. "Definitely." He yawned. "How are you?"

There was a caw. "_I'm fine. Just glad you are too. They fed me and everything._"

Speaking of feeding…His stomach grumbled loudly, telling him that it had been empty for way too long. He groaned, throwing his arms over his eyes, mind already racing to work out this situation. It was best to get away from there as quickly as humanly possible. If someone discovered that he was keeping a pokémon illegally – because Pokémon without trainer license _was_ illegal – he would be busted.

At twelve, he was too young to be sent to jail. It would be back to his guardian's house for him. And…

The dream flashed before his eyes again, and he could hear his aunt's sob. He shivered.

And he couldn't bear coming back. Not now. Not yet. Not until he could at least achieve _something_ worthwhile that would alleviate the sting of his words from back then. Until he was successful, he wouldn't be returning.

More light streamed into the room, making him open his eyes and glanced toward the window. A murkrow stood there, the curtain in his beak as he drew it back to let the rising sun's light in. Red eyes stared at him questioningly, but he was more comfortable dismissing it for the moment. He sat up again and stretched, yawning widely before slipping out of bed.

It took him a moment to get his bearings and find the bathroom, and he quickly did his morning routines before going to his backpack. The murkrow, Hex, was perched on top of a roosting stand designed specifically for birds in a corner, watching him as he sifted through his stuff to find what he was looking for.

"_Cody,_" the Murkrow said. Well, perhaps not _said_, since to any casual observer, it would be a meaningless "_Krow_". To the boy, however, he could hear it as clear as day.

"Yeah?" Cody asked, quickly freeing himself from his dirty turtleneck and threw a new, clean long-sleeve shirt over his head.

Silence answered him, but Hex didn't need to ask for Cody to hear the obvious question. They've known each other for over a year, after all. _What are we going to do now?_

Cody wanted to answer, but he didn't know how. He was the one who'd roped the murkrow into this, and Hex wasn't even his official Pokémon. He didn't even _have_ a Pokéball, or any other Pokémon goods in his backpack. They've picked berries along the way, but he knew that could only go so far. While running away from home had been good and well, Cody, like all panicked twelve-year-old, didn't have the foresight to plan much.

On that subject…

One glance at his watch told him that it was barely after six o'clock in the morning, and if this place was anything like home, breakfast in the Pokémon Center would be served at eight. That meant he had at least an hour and a half to do whatever he wanted and prepared himself for whatever questions Nurse Joy was going to throw at him.

Goosebumps rose on his arms. He couldn't say he detested lying, but he couldn't say he was an extraordinary liar either. If he was found out…

Forcibly, the boy shook his head and dismissed the thought, at least for the time being. He knew a back-up plan was needed, and the sooner he came up with it the better, but right now wasn't the time. It was _six_ in the morning after all. Didn't he deserve some time to relax?

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Cody asked the murkrow, pulling on his boots and zipping them up.

"_Are you kidding me? It's freezing out there!_" Hex squawked. "_You're not planning–_"

Cody stood and made for the door, grabbing his coat on the way. He needed some fresh air, even if it meant sticking his face into the cold morning. After all, winter was already ending, he told himself, zipping up his coat. It wasn't as if he could enjoy the cold much longer – although _enjoy_ might not be the right word.

Feathers rustled, and suddenly several pounds of bird landed on top of Cody's head, nearly making him fall over. "Shoulder!" Cody hissed as sharp talons dug into his scalp. "_Shoulder_!" The talons let go for a few seconds, then the same weight hopped onto Cody's left shoulder. The thick coat stopped them from inflicting too much damage, however, and Cody sighed in relief. Whatever Hex wanted to say, he was _not_ an itty bitty Chatot.

Embarrassingly enough, it took them a few moments to figure out which way to go. Neither bird nor boy had paid any attention to what had happened the night before, and the chansey on duty had brought the food to their room for Hex. They had to backtrack three times before asking another, older boy for directions.

"Just follow me," the older had said with a small amused quirk of his lips, and he'd led them through the semi-confusing maze of rooms. This Center sure was large, Cody thought.

Soon enough, they emerged in the lobby. To the boy's surprise, there had already been a few people sitting around in the sofas on one side of it, talking in low tones. As always, Nurse Joy stood behind her counter, eyes open and watching the door. She didn't seem sleepy at all, and she turned to them as soon as they walked into her line of vision.

"Ah, you are awake!" the pink-haired woman smiled at Cody, who nodded, avoiding her gaze. He didn't like looking at people in the eyes. Especially not if he was about to lie to them. "How do you feel?"

"Better," Cody replied, coming toward the counter, his mind racing. "Um, when is breakfast ready?" Just to make sure. He wasn't nervous, of course. He wasn't nervous.

"It will be at eight," the Joy smiled kindly. She leaned toward him. "Are you a trainer?"

He could say yes. He could say no. The _yes_ nearly slipped out, but a brilliant idea suddenly flashed to the forefront of his mind, and Cody shook his head. "I'm just passing through here," he said. Well, that was half-true. "I'm not a trainer, but my aunt said I should bring Hex with me if something happens on the way." He gestured toward the murkrow, who seconded it with a squawk.

The boy who'd led Cody there paused by the counter as well, raising an eyebrow. "You're not a trainer?" he asked.

Cody shook his head.

"Where are you headed, then?"

"Holly Village," the boy replied instantly. It had been his goal, as soon as he'd left his home. Too bad he had lost the map in the forest after being chased by some hungry pokémons earlier on, and now he needed one. "My grandpa lives there. Auntie said that if I wanted to be a trainer, she'd feel safer to have me practice getting to here and there first before she boots me into the world of danger and all that."

Of course, Rhiannon had said no such thing. She was a teacher. She would never use "boot". Not in that sense, at least. But the little exaggeration couldn't hurt her reputation much.

Nurse Joy tilted her head. "Well, that's all right then," she said at last. "I was about to ask for your trainer card, but since that's the case, you can be an exception."

Cody's heart rate increased, but he kept the smile plastered on his face. "Thank you. Maybe someday you'll see me again, but as a trainer." He seriously doubted it. If he could help it, he wouldn't be visiting anywhere twice. Cody knew he was being paranoid, but still…

After a few more questions, which Cody gave brief answers to, he was able to escape the Center, saying that he was going for a walk ("In this frigid air?" the older boy had exclaimed). He all but ran out of the place, and only slowed to a reasonable space when he had already left it _far_ behind.

Hex gave a sound that might have been a whistle. "_Flawless lying,_" he complimented.

Cody grimaced, but was unable to press back a small grin at the praise. He wasn't exactly a noble individual, and it, after all, was benefitting him. It wasn't as if there was anyone to stare him down if he told a lie – which he didn't! A half-truth was not strictly a lie.

It didn't feel much better.

With a sigh, Cody decided he would ignore the matter of lying and not lying for time being, instead focusing on what he was going to do.

It had been nearly two weeks since he left his home in Rubion City, catching a train and letting it carry him further south. While the weather was pleasant and all, Cody, like all other young boys on their grand adventure, was starting to realize he had no real plan on how to proceed. Sure, he knew he wanted the four badges, and he knew he wanted them as quickly as possible, but it was only a vague summit somewhere in the distance.

He was currently in Aerys City, a thriving trading center that stood second in the entire region, only behind Rubion itself, mostly because it connected two different gym cities and the Pokémon Technology Development Center, which was basically a huge lab where pokéballs were made along with any imaginable pokémon goods.

Cody knew he could pick one or both, but here was the simple problem: he _wasn't_ a legal trainer, and while Hex might be strong enough to chase away human bullies and Peck a houndour to unconsciousness, Cody wasn't sure _he_ was ready to go up against a trainer, let alone a gym leader. Furthermore, he'd told them that he wasn't a trainer yet (which was true), which meant he couldn't battle legally.

While the lie had been effective in the heat of the moment, Cody realized he'd unknowingly backed himself into a corner. That was the major bad thing about on-the-spot lies. Now he would have to work his way around the matter – or, seeing as it was a corner, _up_ and _around_. Corners weren't the end, after all, as long as you could jump high enough to pass the obstacle.

"_I think we should start training,_" Hex said suddenly, surprising Cody. The boy glanced at him.

"Yeah, we will. What attack _do_ you know, Hex? I've never seen you in an actual fight since…last year? Was it last year?" He could remember witnessing Hex battle with a noctowl, but couldn't quite recall when.

Hex snorted ruefully, but said nothing in reply for awhile. "_Mainly Peck and Aerial Ace,_" he said at length. "_Nothing special. I'm just your average murkrow. Oh, and I know Pursuit and a ghost-type attack. Can't remember the name of it, though._"

Cody had heard of things called TMs, or Technical Machines, that could be used to teach a Pokémon a specified move. He wondered if he could get his hands on one, but quickly dismissed it. Stuff like that often cost tons of money, and he didn't have much to spare for himself, let alone on something like that. He also heard that the Gym Leaders handed out TMs for free if you won against them, so he might be able to count on that. Or maybe he could just train Hex up super fast. It might take longer, perhaps, but it was much safer.

"_And _you_ need to train as well,_" Hex added, once again startling Cody out of his train of thoughts.

"Me? I'm not the one fighting," he replied, puzzled at the unusual proposal. Why would he need to train? Weren't Pokémons supposed to fight for their trainers – even if he wasn't strictly a trainer?

Hex gave him a glance. "_Listen. I'm _letting_ you order me around in a battle, and I want to know I can count on you to not order me to fight against an electric-type twice my strength or something familiar. These 'badges' you wanted mean absolutely nothing to me. But because we're friends, I'm doing this. I can fight for you, but you must do your part, too._"

It was pretty straightforward, and Cody was unsure whether he should be grateful for it or not. Still, it was agreeable, and so, why not?

"Deal," he conceded. "Let's go out of town as soon as we've had breakfast and see what's there for us."

If birds could grin, Hex did. "_Aye, captain._"

* * *

_I think I should recommend you to read my one-shot first. It would make more sense if you find this slightly confusing. After all, it was a follow-up of that short story._

_A little thing: I don't really believe badges control your Pokemons for you. Face it: they're just little bits of fancily-carved metal, and it wasn't as if they were worth any with the wild Pokemon (although Hex might find it enjoyable because a) he's a Murkrow and b) the badges were shiny). So, a little bit of my belief. Just saying._


End file.
